Cardinals Kick Off ’26 with Nationally Ranked Showdown

BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University is set to open a new season under head coach Pete Rossomando in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA FCS Playoffs against No. 15 Abilene Christian. The game, which has been chosen as the STATS Perform FCS Game of the Week, is one of just two nationally ranked matchups Saturday. The No. 20 Cardinals enter Saturday ranked in the STATS Perform Preseason Top 25 Poll (FCS football’s preeminent poll) for the first time in program history. The ranking comes following a season that saw LU tie a school record for wins (as a four-year institution),…